The renewal is the part people miss
Most service contracts for mowing, hedges, or leaf work look simple on the first page. The start date, the visits, and what you owe sit at the top. The renewal line sits lower, usually in smaller type, and it decides what happens when nobody picks up the phone. Many agreements roll over automatically unless someone gives notice inside a set window, and that window is often shorter than people expect.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
What to read before you sign or sign again
Find the term, meaning how long the agreement lasts and when it renews. Find the cancel window, meaning how far ahead of renewal you must act, and the method you must use. Some companies accept a phone call, some require a letter, and some want the letter sent a particular way. Write the deadline on the card by the phone, not only in the file.
Read the rate clause. Many agreements allow the company to change its rate with notice. Look for how much notice they must give, and whether you can decline the new rate and end the service. Look for the words that describe the change, and ignore the figures for now.
Check what is included. How many visits are covered? Does leaf removal count, or is it an extra? Do the edges and the bagging come with the lawn work, or are they separate? If something is not in writing, it is not part of the agreement, no matter what the crew says on the lawn.
Whose name is on it
If the account still lists your mother, ask the company how they update it to your father's name, or to the name of someone authorized to act for him. Ask what paperwork they need. Do not sign anything in a name that is not the account holder's without asking what that means for you both. If the wording is hard to follow, the company's office can explain the clause in plain terms, and a family member your father trusts can read it with him at the table. This is practical reading, not legal advice, and it is always reasonable to ask a lawyer if a clause worries you.
What to do tonight
Find the paper. It may be in a folder, in the drawer by the phone, or in an email account he rarely opens. Put it on the table with a pen and a notepad. Write down four things: the renewal date, the notice deadline, the method for cancelling, and the rate clause. Then ask him one question: do you still want the yard done this way? Let him answer. It is his yard.
If the answer is yes, keep the service and note the dates where you both will see them. If the answer is that he would rather not have a crew coming every week, say so plainly and let him make the call. Either way, do not let the deadline pass unseen.